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More Than 20 Years Of Active Duty Military Service
Most American adults have been called to jury duty or at least understand the general concept. As is often the case with military law, the jury selection process works differently. Rather than a 12-person jury of peers selected from a random pool of jurors, the...
Sikhs have served in the U.S. military for decades. Over that time, the military has allowed more significant variances in allowing Sikh personnel to wear turbans, long hair and beards as is the religious custom. The Marines were the lone holdout, telling three Sikhs...
More than a dozen states, including California, have taken steps to legalize or decriminalize some recreational drug use. Federal laws, on the other hand, have not followed suit. For military personnel, this means even minor offenses are a serious problem. Article...
Just as not all criminal offenses lead to a jail sentence, not all disciplinary actions involve a court martial. These so-called lesser offenses can still harm your career and adversely impact your life, and the accused should take them very seriously. As part of all...
Because they are obliged to follow the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and standard laws that apply to everyone in the country, our service members face a more complicated criminal law system than the average U.S. resident. Thus, it is no surprise that the...
The military separates courts martial into three categories depending on the severity of the crime: Summary, special and general. Each type has procedural differences and vary in length. Here’s a breakdown of all three. Summary court martial A summary court martial is...
After several high-profile stories of the U.S. military’s poor handling of sexual assault and harassment cases, the Army has revealed that it is implementing nearly all of the recommendations from the Fort Hood report and an Independent Review Commission. Here are the...
Officer Evaluation Reports (OER) are crucial for deciding career development, including promotions and coveted assignments. They are also vital tools for officers to improve their performance. A negative OER can stall or derail an officer’s military career by blocking...
Consequences for court-martial while you’re still in the military are well defined, but how will a court-martial affect your life after the military? Unfortunately, a court-martial can follow you into civilian life in a number of ways. Here are a few examples:...
Military personnel can face dire consequences if they refuse to or cannot report for duty. Depending upon the circumstances, service members can face three related charges if they fail to show up. Absence without official leave (AWOL), desertion and missing movement...